War clouds were gathering once again over the north, which had been peaceful for some time.

Recently, the forward scouts had reported unusual signs. Baron Isquente had selected skilled elites to scout deep into the northern territories, and about eighty percent of them had returned alive.

"Baron, a report from the scout team. As you predicted, the demon forces are gathering."

"Their numbers far exceed our expectations. It's a scale we've never observed before."

"Several individuals suspected to be lower demon lords have been spotted. They appear to be commanded by a demon lord, though we couldn't confirm their identity."

War, is it.

Baron Isquente let out a sigh.

Fighting demons in the north wasn't particularly unusual. While the high-ranking demon lords in the west occasionally waged large-scale wars, the northern demon lords engaged in localized conflicts periodically. In fact, for soldiers on the northern front, peacetime felt more awkward than wartime.

The position of Northern Front Commander wasn't one that could be won through gambling. The large enemy numbers were expected—the north had enjoyed peace for quite some time, so naturally, the enemy had been accumulating strength. Baron Isquente hadn't been idle while the enemies weren't attacking.

The north is strong enough now.

The two people who once supported the Arctania Gate had spread their wings and departed, but the Hibras Order remained as a military force. The much more abundant military funds were equally reassuring. The current northern garrison had undergone significant reinforcement.

Yet, why?

Baron Isquente's intuition rang alarm bells, telling him "this time is different."

"I thought we wouldn't have to worry about military strength for the next few years... Please inform the garrison to check the defenses and walls once more. We must also thoroughly verify that there are no shortages in provisions or supplies. I'll receive the reports personally."

"Yes, I'll relay that to each army."

"Let's also send more troops to manage Requitas. Have the demon stones sent from Ilensia arrived safely?"

"Yes. We're currently in the process of sorting them. I was planning to report once the work was completed."

"Good. It's difficult, but please expedite the sorting."

Baron Isquente had always had good intuition.

When he had such a strong gut feeling, his accuracy rate was over 70% even without any evidence.

When rational reasoning and intuition pointed in the same direction, he had never been wrong.

This was precisely such a situation.

According to the information received, the enemy numbers far exceeded expectations.

The fact that someone had gathered demon lords, even minor ones, meant that a major figure had joined the battle.

There was a high possibility that this would become a large-scale war, which was unusual for the north.

Support from the Empire would be difficult to expect.

Marquis Elloran's position remained vacant, and recently, the Empire had deployed a significant number of master-level forces to stop Barbatos.

In this situation, it wouldn't be easy to redirect forces back to the north.

It was clear that this would be a lonely battle.

This war would definitely not be easy.

The Baron's body felt hot. It was time to move as quickly as possible.

Just then, his eyes caught sight of a welcome face.

"Ah, Administrator Cariet. Good timing. I see you've been to the prayer room again today."

Cariet Sanders.

He was a person who had earned the Baron's full trust with his meticulous and diligent attitude.

Baron Isquente had exceptional drive but lacked thoroughness.

Cariet's job was to fill in the gaps when the Baron pushed forward with new initiatives.

The synergy between the two had been sailing smoothly without any hitches.

Occasionally, he would find things that the Baron had overlooked.

The Baron smiled and asked:

"I was planning to go on a brief inspection outside the Arctania Gate. Do you have time now?"

"Yes, Baron. I'm available."

"Hmm? Has something happened? You don't look well. If you're tired, you can take a day off. It's better to take care of yourself when you have the chance."

"No... I'm fine. It's nothing."

"Is that so? Please let me know anytime if you're feeling unwell."

* * *

A large crack appeared in the crimson earth.

A long, massive scar, as if an earthquake had occurred. The dying land couldn't hold out for long and crumbled.

Nothing remained outside the collapsed land.

Dried soil, dead trees, and even the fortress built long ago—all of it.

They simply fell somewhere, consumed by "erosion," and disappeared forever.

In particular, the castle that had just collapsed was Baal's demon lord castle, where he had stayed for over hundreds of years.

The castle walls crumbled with the first crack, and the main castle was devoured by the second.

Now, even his power couldn't stop the erosion.

Once it started, the erosion relentlessly destroyed the demon realm.

It moved at an incomparable speed, as if everything before had been mere child's play.

Watching the edges of the demon realm—the world's periphery—collapse, Baal offered a brief observation.

"It seems the time has come. A time when we can no longer wait."

The plan had gone awry.

From the beginning, the only variable left for him was Hibras.

It would have been easy to deal with using human power, but for some reason, that plan repeatedly failed.

Right after the war, he was too busy surviving to touch Hibras.

When he recovered his strength, he couldn't find Hibras to finish the job.

After hundreds of years, when he finally found Hibras, all his arrangements failed.

Long time is a privilege that humans cannot possess.

Originally, he would have waited for another generation to pass, but this time he couldn't.

Because there was no longer an immutable fate remaining.

The immutable fate wasn't always Baal's shackle.

For the final fate to be executed, humans must not all die.

The Empire or the Pantheon must not disappear, so humans need to preserve a proper society and civilization.

In other words, if Baal had directly tried to destroy the Empire, causality would have stopped him by any means necessary.

Conversely, no matter how much Baal twisted causality, erosion destroying the world would be problematic.

The fact that he could wield infinite time as a weapon was entirely because the immutable fate remained.

But now, with the promised time over and the plan collapsed, erosion was rapidly eating away at the demon realm.

"What a pity. When we were just one step away... All that long waiting has been in vain."

At this rate, the demon realm wouldn't last long.

Baal had no time left to prepare a new plan.

But there was no need to despair.

Failing to cleanly eliminate the variable was a mistake, but humans today tremble even at the mere mention of Barbatos.

Sometimes overwhelming force can resolve all situations.

Just because a few minor plans failed doesn't mean the power Baal has accumulated over a long time disappears.

Baal's power alone was already at a level that humanity could hardly handle.

"Gamingin, are the preparations complete?"

"Yes... As you ordered, the soldiers are ready to march, and the demon lords who responded to the summons are waiting nearby."

"You've worked hard. I heard you lost a child you cherished. Your grief must be great."

"No... it's not."

Gamingin bit his lip, but Baal didn't care at all.

He took out Temes's sacred artifact and infused it with a considerable amount of divine power.

Still no response from the saint? Then they have served their purpose.

"I command all followers of the God of Order."

After Baal issued some command, the sacred artifact was carelessly thrown onto the dirt.

In time, Temes's sacred artifact would be consumed by erosion and disappear.

Simultaneously, the divine power of order would vanish from the world.

But by then, the Empire would already be in chaos.

Baal wore an expression of relief, as if he had taken off ill-fitting clothes.

"Let's go. We have a long way ahead."

* * *

Thwack. A blade pierced through Baron Isquente's abdomen.

An unexpected strike. Blood dripped along the blade, staining the floor red.

"Why... would you?"

The Baron turned around in disbelief.

The sword that had pierced the Baron's stomach was held by Administrator Cariet.

As much as he didn't want to accept it, reality remained unchanged.

A devout person who visited the temple faithfully every morning.

The administrator whom the Baron deeply trusted had betrayed him.

"I'm sorry. This isn't my will. But I cannot refuse the divine command."

"Urgh...!"

"You were a good lord, Baron. I sincerely regret that it has come to this."

Blood began to fill the Baron's mouth.

His torn intestines were causing blood to flow backward.

The sword that had dug into him was slowly pulled out.

The retrieved sword held no good intentions.

The eerie blade aimed again, this time to behead the Baron who was trying to regain his posture.

The Baron tried to draw the sword at his waist, but it seemed he would be too late.

And so, a man's life was cut short.